It’s tragedies like the one in Wisconsin that remind that New York is truly a global city.

A horrible shooting that occurs halfway across the country didn’t just have a huge impact on the Milwaukee area, it had a sizable impact here in New York City as well, where the growing Sikh population now numbers over 100,000 people.

When news of the shooting broke, the city immediately took measures to make sure that copycat crimes wouldn’t take place at religious institutions where members of the city’s Sikh religious community worship.

And similar measures would have been necessary if the attack had occurred at a synagogue in Oregon or a mosque in Michigan or a Catholic church in Kentucky.

Part of the wonder of living in New York City is its cosmopolitan nature and the fact that all of the world’s communities and heritages call it home. Part of the downside to that is when tragedy strikes anywhere in the world, it also strikes New York City.

That is why Mayor Michael Bloomberg is right to stay at the center of the debate over gun control. As this debate wears on and the mayor becomes more vocal and visible, he is going to face increasing criticism.

Why should the mayor of New York City care about guns that are sold in Georgia? Why should a local elected official be so involved in a national debate?

Because, unfortunately, events that take place all over the country have a ripple effect on New York City. It may be hard to for people living in Wisconsin to understand why a tragedy there impacts New York City, but it does.

We have a feeling that long after this mayor leaves office, he will still be a strong and outspoken advocate for stricter gun control laws at the national level, and in that small way he will still be working for New York.